When was Charity Focus launched?

What was the original intent of Charity Focus?

Charity Focus was developed to help charities demonstrate transparency and communicate impact.

Why the retirement?

The original purpose of Charity Focus is no longer as relevant as when we built the tool in 2011. Charity Focus was created to supplement the CRA’s Charities Listing search, which was limited at that time.

Financing

Charity Focus was created with funding from CRA’s Charities Partnership & Outreach Program. This funding ended in 2012. Since then, Imagine Canada has supported the operation of and upgrades to Charity Focus through its own fundraising activities.

Redundancy

The CRA website has since improved and they continue to work on site enhancements. They have improved the search function of their current site and the presentation of the information. They are planning to launch an entirely new Charities Listing search by 2019. Their efforts make Charity Focus redundant. Imagine Canada welcomes the CRA’s work to improve their site to help in providing timely and official information on charities.

What do I need to do if my charity had a profile on Charity Focus?

If you have a link to your Charity Focus profile on your website(s) we recommend that you remove it and replace it with a link to the CRA’s Charities Listing.

If you have a profile on Charity Focus it will no longer be accessible to the public after April 8, 2016. You don’t need to do anything with your profile or account, we will simply take it offline.

What about the ongoing security of my data?

After Charity Focus’ retirement it will no longer be available.

How will Imagine Canada continue to help charities demonstrate their transparency and impact?

Imagine Canada is committed to helping charities demonstrate their transparency and impact as well as helping Canadians understand what makes an impactful and well-operated charity. We provide organizations and donors with the following:

The Standards Program: an accreditation program for charities and nonprofits to demonstrate excellence in five areas of operations: board governance, financial accountability and transparency, fundraising, staff management, and volunteer involvement.

The Narrative: resources and tools to help charities explain their role and impact to Canadians.

Guide to Giving: provides practical advice for donors on how to find out more about their favourite organizations.

Ongoing work and outreach activities: many of Imagine Canada’s programs, initiatives and public-facing PR campaigns address and support the work of the charitable and nonprofit sector.

What are some of the alternatives to Charity Focus?

The Canada Revenue Agency’s Charities Listing. The CRA has improved the visuals displaying information and has the most up-to-date information on charities.

CanadaHelps is a donation and fundraising portal which provides a listing of all charities in Canada and presents their mission and program information.

Grant Connect is a subscription-based online database that includes all Canadian foundations, along with their mission, funding programs, grantmaking guidelines, and past giving history.

Thank you for your use and support of the Charity Focus. If you have any questions, please connect with us at info@imaginecanada.ca.